Drowning
by AnziPanzi
Summary: Valduggery, Titantic AU: Valkyrie is a stowaway on the Titanic. Skulduggery is a guard who discovers her. Instead of turning her in, he gets her a room in first class. Obviously, this will not end well
1. Chapter 1

** What this? A Skulduggery Pleasant Titanic AU?**

**this was not my fault. This was the fault of Maddz on Twitter. I am not to be held responsible. And I'm super sorry, pretty sure i probably butchered the Titanic AU. I hope it's not too bad!**

It was dark, and the air was cold enough to make the hairs on Valkyrie Cain's arms stand on end. She shivered, and clutched her thin shawl tighter around her shoulders as she curled up amongst the barrels of wine and kegs of beer in the storeroom.

The ship was enormous; they said it was the biggest ship in the whole world. The thought made her breath catch in her chest; the biggest ship in the whole wide world, and here she was on board. She could go anywhere she wanted.

Naturally, she wasn't in the glamorous part of the ship. A first class ticket to New York cost £2,500! Who the hell had that kind of money? Not her, anyway.

So there she was, curled up in the alcohol storeroom with the rats and the cockroaches. Whatever. She didn't mind. It was cold, sure, and more than a little damp, but she had her shawl and she was determined. She was getting away. The only good thing about being stuck in that part of the ship was that she wasn't getting seasick, as she couldn't see the choppy waves or feel the stormy seas.

Her mouth stretched in a yawn, and she shifted in a vain attempt to get more comfortable. It didn't work. Frustrated, she let her head drop back against the wall and groaned tiredly. She couldn't remember ever being more tired. Or hungry. The gnawing hunger pains had started a while ago, and they were only getting worse.

She sat up abruptly. The kitchen was close to the storeroom. She had seen it as she slipped down the corridors. This ship was massive; surely they wouldn't miss a piece of bread.

Keeping as quiet as possible, she climbed to her feet and manoeuvred around the barrels to get to the door. As an afterthought, she left her shawl by the door. It would only hinder her if she had to move her arms quickly. Her dress, which was now quite dirty from squatting in the storeroom, tickled the back of her ankles as she gingerly pushed the door open. The metal hinges creaked and she froze, catching her breath.

After a moment she pushed forwards again, until there was a gap large enough for her to squeeze through. She froze again once she was in the hallway, glancing around quickly before scurrying down the corridor. The carpets were plush against her bare feet, and she found herself curling her toes into the soft material. As far as she could remember, the kitchen should be... Right about... There!

Taking a deep breath, Valkyrie took the handle and slowly pushed open the heavy metal door. This was so risky, but the hunger pains weren't letting her think properly. She peeked her head in quickly, making absolute certain there was no one inside before edging in.

She couldn't believe her luck; there was always someone in the kitchen! Where was everyone?

No use pondering useless questions when there was food right in front of her eyes. Valkyrie's gaze fell on a pot of casserole, and she almost fell over herself as she scrambled to get to it. She didn't even bother with cutlery as she snatched and tore a chunk of bread out of a loaf and dipped it in the casserole, very nearly swallowing it whole.

It was easily the best thing she'd ever tasted, and she almost inhaled the rest of it. So distracted in the food, she didn't even notice the sound of the big metal door opening again.

What she did notice, however, was the small noise of surprise and the sound of footsteps stopping in their tracks. She dropped the bread and whirled around, panicked.

A guard stood there. Just her luck. If it had been a cook or a kitchen assistant, she might have been able to escape. "Oh."

The guard seemed to jump slightly as he caught sight of her, and he took a deep breath as he stared at her for a very long moment. "I could be mistaken, but I think the kitchen is restricted access only." His voice was smooth and deep and beautiful and thoroughly distracting.

"Why are _you_ here then?" _Oh my god, why did I say that?!_ She thought the second the words had left her mouth.

He cocked his head to the side and regarded her silently. His face was completely impassive. "What's your name?"

Valkyrie tensed. "Why?"

"Because I'm asking."

"Valkyrie."

"Why are you here, Valkyrie?"

"I was hungry."

"No, I mean why are you here on the ship. Why are you here on the Titanic?"

Deciding it was best not to answer that question, Valkyrie folded her arms across her chest and glared at him. "That's none of your business."

"Actually, it _is_ my business." The guard took a step towards her, ignoring the way she tensed even further. "Do you have a ticket?"

"Are you the ticket inspector now?" She demanded, her tone far more cheeky than she had originally intended.

"Do you have a ticket?"

He was close to her now, close enough for her to see his sharp cheekbones and dark hair and bright eyes. She realised she was staring, and jerked back a little. "I-"

"Miss, I'm going to have to insist-"

"No, okay?!" Valkyrie hissed at him, taking another step backwards. "No, I don't have a ticket! Happy?"

The guard looked at her inscrutably. "I see. So why are you on board?"

"Why am I-? Well obviously I want to go somewhere."

"And where would somewhere be?"

Suddenly unsure of herself, Valkyrie scowled at the man as she wrapped her arms around herself. "New York."

"Ah."

"So, what now? Are you going to report me?"

There was no answer for a long moment. "What were you going to New York for?"

"I- To get away. Just to escape, you know? I.. I need to go to America."

"Why?"

"Why are you asking me so many questions?"

"Would you rather I arrest you?"

She scowled. "Fine. There's more... America is better."

"Than Ireland? In some ways, I suppose. In other ways, not so much. But that doesn't entirely answer my question."

Sighing, Valkyrie glanced down at her dirty bare feet. "I grew up in Haggard. Know it?"

"Yes. It's a small village in the east of Ireland, isn't it?"

"Yeah. Very small. There was never anything to do. Never anywhere to go. Everyone knew each other, everyone was too interested in other people's business, it was horrible. What I do should never be anyone else's business. So... I saw an ad for the Titanic in the paper. It seemed... kind of perfect."

"How did you get from Haggard to Southampton?"

A short laugh burst out of her mouth, and she shrugged small shoulders. "It took a lot of time and effort. I hitched a lot of rides, and stowed away on a fishing boat to get to England."

"I see. So you stowed away on the biggest, most important ship in the world to escape your little town, purely because you think you're meant for something better than what you could get in a small town in the east of Ireland."

Her smile faded slowly. "Um.."

"I think you could be right."

"I-?"

"Where had you been hiding?"

"...Storeroom."

The guard said nothing, focusing on fixing his uniform jacket. After he had flicked a piece of invisible lint from his shoulder and straightened his hat, he cleared his throat and nodded towards the door. "Follow me."

"Follow you where?"

"Just trust me."

And for some reason, she did. And she followed.

She managed to refrain herself from asking any more questions as she followed the guard down the corridors. She didn't say anything even as they entered the living quarters of the ship.

There was an obvious visual difference as they passed into the first class living quarters. "Hey, where are we going? What if someone sees me?"

The guard didn't answer, stopping instead in front of a door at the end of the hall. "This room is empty."

Valkyrie stared uncomprehendingly at him. "Okay."

The man rolled his eyes at her. "You can stay in here."

"In.. in here? In first class?"

"It's better than the storeroom, isn't it?" The guard pointed out, fishing keys out of his uniform pockets and unlocking the door. He stepped back and swept his arm forwards to allow her entrance into the room first.

With an uncertain glance cast his way, Valkyrie stepped into the room, and promptly froze in surprise. "Holy shit."

"Is it okay?"

"Okay?" Valkyrie repeated, staring around the room. It was amazing; a queen-sized four poster bed by the wall with beautiful satiny red sheets, a brown oak wardrobe and vanity cabinet, a deep red couch with a small coffee table, an en suite bathroom. "It's.. It's.. Wow."

"There's a bath through that door. You might want to use it. You won't pass for a passenger in first class unless you're presentable."

Valkyrie was too much in awe to even shoot him a scowl. "Wow."

"I'll be going then."

"Wait!" She grabbed hold of his arm to stop him from leaving, before blushing and letting go of him quickly. "Um, sorry. I just- thank you. Thank you so much."

The guard tilted his head in acknowledgment. "You're welcome. I should get back to work now."

"Wait! You never told me your name."

He paused in the door, before turning his head and allowing her a small smile. "Skulduggery Pleasant, at your service." He offered a mock bow.

"Oh. Hi. I'm Valkyrie. Um.. I already told you that."

Skulduggery grinned wider. "I'll see you later, Valkyrie. Sleep well."


	2. Chapter 2

Valkyrie woke slowly, relishing in the feel of soft, downy sheets caressing her bare legs and body. Her hair was still damp from her bath the night before, and she sat up and stretched leisurely. That had easily been the best night's sleep she'd ever had, and she could feel her mood soaring even higher.

A flash of colour caught her eye, and she craned her neck to see something lying at the bottom of her bed. Curious, she climbed out of the bed and padded over, only to see a beautiful green dress lying over the footboard. Her eyes widened as she picked it up and held it out away from her to get a better look. It was long - ankle length, as most of her dresses were - and brass buttons ran up the from the waist to the neckline. The neckline lined her collarbones, thank God (she couldn't stand high-necklines; they made her feel restricted) and the colour was a beautiful deep green, like emeralds.

It was undoubtedly the most expensive garment Valkyrie had ever held in her hand, and she donned it with glee. An ornate mirror hung on the opposite wall, and she hurried over to it to admire herself.

With the dirt washed off and her hair shiny and soft, she looked like she _belonged_ on the Titanic. She no longer looked like a girl that had stowed away in the storeroom. The dress fit her perfectly, and she had to wonder how it came to be in her room. Skulduggery must have brought it to her.

That thought caused her to clap her hands to her mouth as her eyes widened. _She had been sleeping naked!_ And he had come in to leave a dress for her! "Oh my god!" She gasped, before cursing and covering her red face with her hands.

A knock on the door distracted her from her embarrassment, and she straightened her dress as she walked over to it. She paused, a sudden wave of nerves flooding through her. What if the captain had discovered she was a stowaway? Would she be arrested? Maybe she shouldn't answer the door after all.

The knock came again, and she steeled herself before pulling it open. She blinked and blushed again when she saw who it was outside her door. "Oh, Mr. Pleasant."

Skulduggery tilted his head and offered her a small smile. "The dress fits, I see." He noted, shifting the tray he held in his hands.

Valkyrie's gaze was drawn to the tray, "What's this?"

"Breakfast."

Surprised, she glanced back up quickly. "Huh?"

"I assumed you didn't know where the dining room is."

"Oh. I don't... Thank you." She said gratefully, taking a step backwards to allow the guard into the room.

He made his way straight over to the small coffee table, and set the tray down. Valkyrie followed, and seated herself on the sofa. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Certainly." Skulduggery said easily, fixing his black jacket and pulling up his tie.

"How come you didn't turn me in?" Valkyrie asked as she buttered a piece of toast. When she didn't get an answer, she glanced up to see the man staring into the distance.

"You reminded me of someone." He said at last, turning his attention back to her.

"Oh. Who-?"

"Is your breakfast okay?" Skulduggery interrupted, changing the subject none-too-subtly.

"What? Oh, right. Yeah, it's grand. Thank you." Getting the message, Valkyrie glanced back down at her food as she picked up a slice of bacon with her bare hands and took a bite. "So.. You came in last night with the dress?"

"This morning, actually." Skulduggery answered, still standing in front of the table as she ate.

"And, um... Did you.. I mean, I wasn't wearing anything.. Did you-"

"Your dignity remains intact, don't worry." An amused smile was curving the edges of his lips.

Valkyrie couldn't help but notice how attractive that smirk was. "Oh, good." She said faintly, dragging her eyes away from his face. She cleared her throat as she returned to eating her breakfast. "How did you know this room was empty?"

"Because it's my room."

She almost dropped her toast. "What? Oh my god, I'm sorry, I didn't know. I didn't mean to put you out of a bed, I can go back to the storeroom, I was fine in there-"

"Miss Cain." Skulduggery interrupted, another smile tugging at his lips. "Don't worry. I have another room in the employees quarter. I had reserved this room and paid for it almost a full year ago. Unforeseen circumstances arose, and I no longer needed the room."

There was a short moment of silence as Valkyrie frowned in thought. "Didn't you try to get your money back?"

"No. It didn't seem right."

"You must have a lot of money, then." The girl commented, taking a bite out of another slice of bacon. "Between the room and the dress. Neither of them could possibly be very cheap."

"No, they weren't. And I most certainly have more money than I could hope to use."

"So... Why are you working as a guard?"

"Everyone needs a hobby." He replied easily, holding out his hand to her the instant she was finished her meal.

She took his offered hand and let him help her to her feet. "Should we take the tray back to the kitchen?"

"No, someone else will come and do that." The tall man assured her, leading her towards the door. "I figured that because you've been hiding in the storeroom for the past several days, you haven't seen the view from the main deck."

He led her out of the room and down the corridors. Since she had no idea where they were going, she relied on him completely.

Blushing lightly, she slipped her hand into the crook of Skulduggery's elbow as they walked. He glanced at her, but said nothing as they came to a set of stairs and made their way up them.

"Are we nearly there?"

"We are." The answer was short and simple as they reached the top of the stairs, and a gush of cold air hit them.

Valkyrie shivered suddenly, glancing around as she realised they were no longer inside the ship; they were on top of it now, on the main deck.

"Wow." She breathed, releasing the arm she had been holding as she stepped forwards onto the wooden floor. She hurried over to the rail and gazed out over the ocean.

There was just water. Only water, for miles and miles. The lazy waves lapped at the hull of the ship, and the clear sky made the ocean look a beautiful bright blue. Valkyrie looked around, searching for any sign of land. "How far out to sea are we?" She asked, turning to gaze at Skulduggery as he stepped towards her.

His dark hair was ruffled from the sea breeze, and his smile made his fantastic cheekbones even more pronounced. "Quite far. We might be able to see the coast of Canada in a day or so."

"Canada?" A laugh burst out of her and she clapped her hands. She was remarkably far away from home now, and though the idea was sad, she was happy in the fact that she was almost where she wanted to be. Still grinning, she leaned over the railing to gaze at the waves below.

Skulduggery was beside her in a heartbeat, wrapping a gentle arm around her waist. "Don't fall in." He murmured softly in her ear.

His warm breath made her shiver, and she smiled as she replied "Hold me, and I won't." Her smile widened as she felt his arm tighten around her, and she climbed up on the bottom rail to gaze out over the sea. "It's so beautiful."

"A beautiful view suitable for a beautiful lady."

Fighting her blush, Valkyrie noticed how safe she felt in the man's hold. She had just met him, and she was trusting him to hold her as she leaned over a 300 foot ship over the Atlantic Ocean. Granted, he was gorgeous, so that was that.

Another sea breeze washed over them and Valkyrie found herself shivering again. This time Skulduggery noticed, and frowned. "Are you cold?"

"I'm fine." She said quickly. "I don't want to go inside yet."

His arm disappeared from her waist, and she climbed off the rail and turned around to see him shrugging off his black uniform jacket and holding it out to her. "Here, put this on."

She accepted it with a smile, and tugged it on over her shoulders. It was far too big for her; the sleeves stretched well past her hands, and it practically hung off of her. She loved it.

"Well, it looks far better on you than it does on me." The tall man grinned, seemingly unaffected by the cold even in his thin work shirt. He was thin, but he seemed to be made up of wiry muscle and sinew.

"I doubt that." Valkyrie laughed, snuggling into it. "It's warm though, thanks."

"You're welcome." Skulduggery nodded, absently tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. He seemed to realise what he was doing and froze, before quickly pulling back his hand and clearing his throat. "Would you like to return inside, or stay out here for another while?"

"I'd like to stay out here for a while, if that's okay with you?"

"Of course." The guard watched as she grinned and hitched up her dress before running to the other side of the deck. Mirroring her grin, he followed her over.

The rest of the day passed by in a blur. They stayed above deck for hours, talking and laughing and enjoying each other's company. The ocean wind was cruel and cold, but neither seemed to mind as they lounged in deck chairs and told silly jokes.

When the sun was setting, Valkyrie jumped to her feet and grabbed Skulduggery's hand. "Come on, we can watch the sun go down!"

The tall man allowed himself to be tugged over to the rail by the dark-haired young lady in the green dress and black jacket that was far too big for her. They stood side-by-side and watched as the setting sun cast red and gold light across the sky, reflecting off the sea.

"Wow. It's so pretty." Valkyrie whispered, gazing out at the ocean.

"It is." Skulduggery agreed, his gaze locked on Valkyrie.

"Hey.." She turned to him suddenly, her dark eyes wide. "I wanted to say something."

"Yes?"

"Well, I was just thinking, I would still be-"

"I'M ON TOP OF THE WORLD!" a loud shout came from a young couple over at the top of the deck, interrupting Valkyrie's words.

"SHUT UP, IDIOTS!" Skulduggery roared back at them, shaking his head at their stupidity as he turned back to Valkyrie. "That imbecile is going to fall right over the rail. Sorry, what were you saying?"

"I was just saying that if I hadn't met you, I'd still be curled up in that storeroom with the rats. I'd never had gotten the chance to see the sun set across the Atlantic Ocean from the main deck of the biggest ship in the world. I wanted to say thank you."

Skulduggery smiled at her. "There's no need to say thank y-" he cut off in surprise as Valkyrie stepped forwards and hugged him tightly.

She blushed immediately and glanced away. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Skulduggery blinked, still gazing at her. A thought occurred to him suddenly, and he tilted his head as he regarded the girl in front of him. "I know a way you could repay me."

"Yeah?"

"I have to go to dinner tonight to meet up with a few old friends. They're idiots, all of them. It would be nice to have someone there who could speak a little sense. Would you do me the honour of accompanying me to dinner?"

A smile spread across her face, and she nodded quickly, "Yes! I'd love to."

"Excellent." Skulduggery smiled too, only his looked far more relieved. "It would have been incredibly awkward if you had said no. So, I will escort you to your room so you can get ready, and I will collect you in about half an hour?"

"Yeah. Yeah, great."

"Excellent."

...

"You look lovely."

Valkyrie gave a small smile at the compliment. "Thanks." She was wearing the same green dress, but she had washed her face and fixed her windblown dark hair into a tidy pile on her head.

Skulduggery offered her his arm and she took it, and they walked down the corridor in much the same way as they had when they were making their way above deck, albeit now they were heading the opposite direction. "I must warn you, these friends of mine are mildly eccentric."

"I wouldn't expect anything less."

"They're quite idiotic, too."

"Yes, you mentioned."

"Just... just so you're aware."

"It'll be fine." Valkyrie assured him as they reached the doors to the dining room.

"Right." Skulduggery said dubiously, pushing the door open allowing her to enter first. He followed her in quickly and glanced around. "They're over there, by the far wall. No, not them, the group that look like idiots."

The room was big, and full of first class passengers sitting down for meals. There were candles and flowers on each table, and luxurious chairs and carpets and paintings on the walls. It looked like the royal palace rather than a ship. Valkyrie followed Skulduggery over to the table with his friends, drinking in the whole room as she walked.

"Skulduggery!"

The call of her companion's name drew her attention and she looked back to see a large man standing and shaking Skulduggery's hand. The man was bald, and his entire face and head was covered in scars. He wore a well tailored suit and tie, and he greeted Skulduggery warmly, like an old friend.

"Ghastly, this is Valkyrie Cain. Valkyrie, this is Ghastly Bespoke." Skulduggery introduced them, taking a small step backwards to allow the rest of the group to see her.

"Nice to meet you." Valkyrie said, blushing under the gaze of everyone at the table.

Ghastly, who had smiled when he was greeting Skulduggery, was not smiling anymore. Now, he was staring at her in blank surprise. "She looks like -"

"This over here is Anton Shudder." Skulduggery spoke over his friend, pointing to a pale man with dark hair and bright eyes.

Confused by Skulduggery's sudden change of attitude towards Ghastly, Valkyrie just waved at the new man. He nodded in return, staring intently at her.

"Beside him is Eskine Ravel." Skulduggery pointed out a good looking man with pretty eyes and nice hair.

Ravel smiled politely at her, but still had the same surprised look as Ghastly.

"Beside Erskine is Dexter Vex, and beside Dexter is Saracen Rue."

"Well, hello!" Dexter was tall, blond and blue-eyed, and he practically purred as he got up from his seat and crossed over to kiss Valkyrie's hand in greeting. "Aren't you a pretty thing?"

From behind Dexter, Saracen scowled at him. "Will you stop that?" He demanded, swatting the taller man over the head.

"Ow! I was just saying she was pretty-"

"Yes, but she's not here with you, is she? She's here with Skulduggery."

"Oh, I see. Are you jealous now?"

"Jealous? Of _what_? You slobbering over some poor girl's hand? No, thank you very much."

"I was not _slobbering_-"

Totally bemused, Valkyrie turned to Skulduggery. The tall man shook his head helplessly and said "Idiots."

"Why don't you sit down?" Erskine smiled, gesturing at two spare chairs.

Skulduggery pulled out the chair for Valkyrie and pushed it in to the table like a gentleman, before seating himself next to her. "Have you ordered yet?"

"No, we were waiting for you." Anton said calmly, checking an ornate pocket watch before tucking it back into his suit pocket.

"Right." Murmured Skulduggery, passing a menu to Valkyrie.

She glanced through it quickly and felt her eyes go round as she stared at the prices. Leaning in closer to the tall man beside her, she whispered so only he could hear, "It's all so expensive, and I have no money."

"I'll pay for you." Skulduggery muttered in reply, still browsing the menu.

"But I can't pay you back-"

"When we get to America and you become rich and famous, you can pay me back then."

Another pause, and Valkyrie figured out pretty quickly that Skulduggery wouldn't be changing his mind any time soon. "Thank you."

"You're quite welcome. What sort of gentleman would I be if I let a pretty lady pay for her own dinner?"

And Valkyrie was suddenly fighting a blush as she stared fixedly at her menu. "I think I'll have the chicken." She decided out loud; it was the least expensive dish on the menu.

"Excellent choice." A waiter had appeared out of seemingly nowhere, and Valkyrie jumped in surprise.

A few of the men around the table chuckled at her, but not in a cruel way. After they had given the rest of their orders to the waiter, Ghastly turned back to survey her again. "So, Valkyrie. Where are you from?"

"Oh, um... I'm from Haggard."

"Haggard?"

"Small town in the west of Ireland. Remember it?" Skulduggery asked calmly, sitting back in his chair. "We went fishing there once."

"Oh! Yes, I know the place." Ghastly nodded as the waiter returned with their wine. He even gave a glass to Valkyrie, who stared at it in bewilderment before realising she was meant to drink it. "And how did you two meet?"

The two of them paused, and Valkyrie turned her dark eyes on Skulduggery, who raised a brow. "Why all the questions?"

A benign smile crossed the scarred man's face and he shrugged. "Curious, is all. It's been quite a while since a lady has accompanied you anywhere."

"Too long a while, if you ask me." Dexter piped up, shooting them a wink. "You need to loosen up some!"

"Has he been drinking?" Skulduggery asked impatiently, glaring at his blond friend.

"A little." The other man shrugged, ignoring the glare. "The wine is fantastic."

There was some more casual and polite conversation until the food arrived, and then all conversation ceased. Once everyone had finished eating, conversation struck up again.

"So, will you be attending the ball tomorrow?" Ghastly asked Valkyrie politely, sipping at his wine.

"Ball?" She asked curiously, glancing at Skulduggery.

The guard shrugged his narrow shoulders. "They're calling it the Requiem Ball. Strictly for first class passengers. It will be incredibly pretentious and stuffy and full of pompous aristocratic fools."

"Sounds like fun."

"It does, doesn't it? Would you like to go?"

"Sure! But, um.. I have nothing to wear."

"Ghastly." Skulduggery looked to his friend and tilted his head.

The scarred man glanced over her quickly. "Hmm... I suppose so."

"Excellent."

Valkyrie looked between them, frowning curiously. "Um... Did I miss something?"

"Ghastly will make you a dress."

"Make me a..?"

"He's a tailor."

"Oh." She certainly wouldn't have been able to tell by looking at him; although his clothes were exceptional. "That... that would be amazing, thank you."

Ghastly inclined his head to her and smiled. Then his gaze flickered over her shoulder and his smile faded slightly as he raised a brow. "China."

Everyone turned to stare, and Valkyrie turned quickly too. And her mouth promptly dropped open. Standing in front of her was the most beautiful, elegant woman she had ever seen. Her hair was black as charcoal, and her eyes as blue as the sky. Her skin was absolutely flawless; she looked like a doll. She was smiling at them - no, at Skulduggery. "Ah, it has been far too long, Skulduggery."

"I suppose it has." The guard answered, giving her a small smile. He gestured to the girl next to him, "This is Valkyrie Cain, by the way. Valkyrie, this is China Sorrows."

China Sorrows turned her piercing blue eyes onto Valkyrie's dark ones, and she raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow. "You don't look like a first class lady, dear." She said thoughtfully, looking over Valkyrie swiftly, "In fact, you look sorely out of place. How did you manage to get into the first class quarters?"

Surprised, Valkyrie just blinked. "I-"

"That's enough, China." Skulduggery interrupted sharply.

"That was uncalled for." Anton agreed quietly, sipping at his wine.

"My apologies." The raven-haired lady smiled politely, "I meant no harm. I just curious. I must bade you goodnight; I have many people to meet tonight."

Once she was out of earshot, Skulduggery shook his head. "Just ignore her."

"Right." Valkyrie said faintly, frowning down at her hands in her lap. "What did she mean by I don't look like a first class lady?"

No one answered her.

"Do I look that bad?"

"No, of course not. You look beautiful." Skulduggery said quickly, "She just meant that.. You do not act quite as poised as other first class passengers. But that's a good thing."

"It is?"

"Of course."

Neither of them were aware of Ghastly watching them both intently until he said "How long have you two been together?"

Both of them flushed at the misunderstanding and began shaking their heads and talking at the same time. "No, no, we're not together!"

"We only met yesterday." Valkyrie blushed, glancing down.

"Oh." Ghastly frowned. "Sorry. I thought you were a couple. You only met yesterday?"

"I think I'll go to the bathroom." Valkyrie announced suddenly, pushing back her chair and standing. She quickly excused herself and then almost ran to the restaurant toilets.

Once the door to the toilets had closed behind her, she ran a hand over her face and sighed. A full minute later, she moved over to the sink and splashed cold water on her cheeks in an effort to cool the blush.

She jumped in surprise when a toilet flushed and a blonde lady stepped out, moving to stand and wash her hands in the sink next to Valkyrie. The blonde lady glanced at her out of the corner of her eye, and raised an eyebrow. "Are you okay?" She asked, her English accent prominent.

"I'm fine, thank you."

"You look like you're too warm."

"Oh, I'm fine." Valkyrie cleared her throat as she dried off her face. "Just blushing."

"I see." The blonde lady laughed, shrugging well-toned shoulders. "My name is Tanith Low, by the way."

"Valkyrie Cain."

"Nice to meet you. What brings you aboard the Titanic?"

"I'm headed to New York."

"What a coincidence; me too. Hey, we should stick together!"

"Yeah, sure." A grin spread across the younger woman's face.

There was a brief silence as the other lady shook her hands dry, before she glanced up casually. "Are you going to the Requiem Ball tomorrow, by any chance?"

"I think I am..." Valkyrie frowned as she thought. "I mean, I don't have anything to wear yet, and I don't know what to do with my hair or anything..."

"You can come to my quarters before we go, if you like, and we can sort you out there. I don't have a clue what I'm doing yet either."

"I'd really like that. If you don't mind." She added hurriedly. "I wouldn't want to be a bother or anything."

"Nonsense, it'll be fun! It will be like playing dress up. Do you have a date yet?"

Another dark blush flamed across Valkyrie's face. "I wouldn't call it a date-"

Tanith burst out laughing. "You've gone the colour of a tomato! Go on, who is he?"

"He's a friend- he's not even a friend, I mean I met him yesterday! He's a guard on the ship, his name is Skulduggery Pleasant."

Tanith's blue eyes widened in recognition. "Oh, I know of him. He used to be a detective, didn't he?"

"Did he?"

"Yeah, a damn good one, too." She covered her mouth suddenly and glanced around, as if afraid someone had heard her. "Sorry, I shouldn't swear. But I've heard he had a reputation as the most fearsome detective in Ireland."

"How come he's working as a security guard on the Titanic now?"

"I don't know, you'd have to ask him that. He is your date, after all."

"Oh my god, shut up!" Valkyrie laughed, shaking her head. Hesitantly, she glanced towards the door. "I should probably get back to Skulduggery and his friends."

"You went to dinner with him and his friends?" A large grin stretched across Tanith's face. "That is absolutely adorable. He must like you a lot."

"Oh, please. I think he felt sorry for me. Anyway, who are you here with?"

"I'm on my own, actually." The Englishwoman admitted, straightening her own dress and shrugging. "On my way to visit my brother in America. I had forgotten I had to wear posh clothes; I'm used to wearing trousers. I hate dresses."

Valkyrie's eyes widened in surprise. "Trousers?"

"I know, not very ladylike of me." She shrugged strong shoulders. "I used to shock everyone; it was great."

"Well, if you like you can come and join me with Skulduggery's friends? I mean, I don't know anyone either, so at least we wouldn't be alone."

A bright smile crossed the blonde woman's face. "I'd love to!"

"Come on then."

They left the bathroom together, and the younger girl led the way back to the table.

Skulduggery glanced around and frowned at her as she arrived back at her chair. "Where have you been?"

"Skul was about to go looking for you." Erskine chuckled, before his gaze fell on Tanith and he raised an eyebrow. "Well, well, who is this?"

"This is Tanith Low. Do you mind if she sits with us?"

"When have we ever turned away a pretty lady?" Dexter grinned from across the table, raising his glass of wine to her.

"Ignore them," Skulduggery advised as both the women sat down. "They're idiots."

"I'm well used to idiots, I'm from London." Tanith laughed, accepting a glass of wine from a passing waiter.

"Ooooohhh!"

As the conversation went on, Tanith continued to integrate into the group, laughing and talking and joking. And as the conversation went on, Valkyrie noticed Ghastly staring at the Englishwoman.

Obviously Skulduggery noticed too, and he kept grinning at his friend, who was blatantly ignoring him. The guard leaned in next to Valkyrie and murmured "You look tired."

It was only when he pointed it out that she realised how exhausted she was. "I am."

"Come on, I'll walk you back to your room." Skulduggery said, standing and glancing back to his friends. "We'll be leaving now. See you tomorrow."

He barely got a reaction; everyone was so into their conversation. Shrugging, he turned back to Valkyrie and put a hand on her shoulder, leading her towards the door.

She rolled her eyes at him and shook his hand off her shoulder. "I can walk by myself, you know."

"I know, I just.. I just like touching your shoulder."

"What?" Valkyrie turned to stare at him as they left the dining room. He looked as though he regretted saying anything.

"That's not what I meant. I meant-"

"Maybe it's best not to say anything."

"Yes, I think that's best." Skulduggery nodded quickly, obviously relieved.

They chatted idly until they reached Valkyrie's room. She opened the door, but didn't step inside; instead she cleared her throat and smiled awkwardly at him. "I suppose I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yes, I could come by in the morning if that's okay with you?"

"Yeah, I'd like that." Hiding her nerves as best as she could, she stood on her toes and pressed her lips to the tall man's cheek. She took a step back and smiled at the surprised look on his face. "I'll see you in the morning, so."

And with that she closed the door, barely stifling a girlish giggle.


	3. Chapter 3

"Guess what I have?"

"Hmm?" Valkyrie glanced up from where she was lounging on the couch with her legs thrown up on the arm rest, her dress hitched up around her knees.

Skulduggery had his hands behind his back, and he was grinning widely at her. "Go on, guess."

"Is it the dress Ghastly made?"

His face fell. "How did you know?"

"Because I can see it from behind your back." She rolled her eyes skyward and pushed herself up off the couch, approaching the thin man and clapping her hands together. "Okay! I'm ready to see it."

No move was made to reveal the dress.

"Skulduggery? I'm ready to see it. Are you... are you sulking?"

"Yes." He said shortly, glaring at his shoes. "You should have at least pretended you didn't know what it was for a while."

"_Fine_. Gee, Skulduggery, what's that behind your back?"

"Take a guess, my dear Valkyrie."

"Hmmm... Could it be a puppy?"

"It's not a puppy."

"Food, perhaps?"

"No, not food!"

"Maybe it's one of those fancy new automobiles."

"No, not an automobile either!"

"Gosh, Skulduggery. I just don't know. Tell me; what do you have behind your back?"

"It's your dress!" The dark-haired man cheered as he pulled it out from behind his back and held it out to Valkyrie.

Pretending for Skulduggery's sake to be suitably surprised, Valkyrie took in the dress; it was a deep, deep blue - so dark it was almost black - and the bodice was fitted until it flared at the navel. The skirt of the dress was made of silk and chiffon, fell in waves that were reminisce of the ocean raging just outside. In quite a bold move, there were no sleeves on the dress; her shoulders would be bare. She would have to wear a shawl over her shoulders to avoid it being too scandalous. "Wow."

"Do you like it?"

"It's beautiful! I can't believe he made it in one night! It's wonderful!"

"I'm glad you like it." With a smile, Skulduggery laid the outfit on the bed. "The Ball is in two and a half hours, so if you were agreeable we could go to the main deck and watch the sunset again?"

Wanting more than anything to say yes, Valkyrie looked down. "I wish I could. I have to get in the bath. Tanith said she'd be here in twenty minutes to help me get ready."

"It will hardly take you two and a half hours to get ready-"

"Do not question me." She raised a hand in a silencing motion - she was pleasantly surprised when it worked. "I need to make myself look pretty; it's my first ball!"

"You are always pretty, you don't need two and a half hours to get ready."

Valkyrie smiled and shrugged and walked to the bathroom; Skulduggery followed. "But it's a Ball! I need to look fantastic."

The thin man frowned and leaned against the doorframe of the bathroom as Valkyrie set about preparing the bath. "You evidently weren't listening to me. You always look fantastic."

Valkyrie shot him a look to try and cover up her blush. "Instead of being annoying, why don't you tell me about how you used to be a detective?" She asked in a casual voice, dipping one of her toes into the bath.

When there was no reply, she turned to look at him. A frown had creased his forehead, and he was staring hard at the bathroom wall. Finally, he said "Who told you that?"

"I mentioned your name to Tanith, and she said you were one of the most well known detectives in Ireland." Valkyrie perched on the edge of the bath as the water filled, and gazed at him curiously. "What happened?"

Skulduggery released a long breath. "It's true that I used to be a well known detective. They used to call me the Skeleton Detective. Most still do."

"Because you're so skinny?"

"Because I'm so skinny." The guard confirmed, still staring at the wall. "The problem with being such a well known detective is that you start to make enemies pretty quickly. And when you make enemies, they tend to target those closest to you." He looked as though he were about to continue, before he shook his head and said "I think your bath is done."

Startled, Valkyrie glanced behind her to see the bath had filled to an appropriate level, and quickly turned off the taps. Slowly, she turned back to Skulduggery. "Will you finish your story later?"

There was a long pause during which Skulduggery simply gazed at her. "...if you wish me to."

"Thank you."

"I'll leave you to bathe."

After he had closed the door of the bathroom behind him, Valkyrie paused for a full minute before slipping out of her dress and sliding into the hot water of the bath.

The tension bled out of her, and she could physically feel her body relaxing in the hot water. Sighing, she set about washing her body and hair.

She was finished in about ten minutes, and though she'd have loved to stay in the relaxing liquid, it had started to go cold. Plus, Tanith was coming soon.

So she slowly stood and moved to step out of the bath.

What she had forgotten was how slippery the ceramic bathtub could be.

Her foot slipped in the water, and she toppled backwards with a shriek. The water splashed over the sides as she was hit the bottom of the bath again with force, and she yelped loudly as she hit her elbow off one of the metal taps.

As if to make the situation even more embarrassing and painful, Skulduggery burst into the bathroom, looking around frantically. "Valkyrie?"

"Ow.." She was still in mild shock.

"Are you okay?"

Blinking, she seemed to come to her senses and stare up at him, before she shrieked again. "_Get out_! I'm naked!"

Seemingly on a reflex, his eyes drifted downwards, as if to confirm that statement for himself. When it was indeed confirmed, he yelped like a kicked dog and scrambled backwards, stumbling for the door.

"Jesus!" Valkyrie snatched a towel from the rail and clutched it to her chest before she made a second attempt to get out of the bath.

This time it was successful, and she held the towel over the front of her body as she followed Skulduggery's scramble out of the bathroom. "Why would you do that?! I was in the bath! I was _naked_!"

"I heard you scream, I thought you were hurt!"

"Oh my god." Valkyrie whimpered, covering her face with one hand and keeping her towel in place with the other.

"I'm sorry." Skulduggery looked absolutely mortified - possibly even more so than Valkyrie. "But, um... You might want to fix your towel.." His face went beet red.

Another shriek as Valkyrie realised the thin piece of cloth wasn't properly covering her fully. "Don't look!"

"Sorry!" In a panic, Skulduggery whirled away again. "I just went in to make sure you were okay!"

It was sweet that his first instinct was to rush in to make sure that he was okay, but the pure humiliation was difficult to get her head around. "Oh god, this is so embarrassing."

"Don't be embarrassed." Skulduggery scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "It wasn't as if you looked bad, you looked quite-" he cut himself off sharply at the glare he received. "Ahem. I apologise for walking in on you like that."

Sighing, Valkyrie ran a hand through damp hair and just nodded helplessly. "Right. Um... Can we pretend that this never happened?"

"I think that would be best."

"Let's never speak of this again."

"Absolutely. Never."

A knock came on the door, and they both jumped in surprise as Tanith's voice called out "It's me."

"Come in." Valkyrie called, turning as the Englishwoman entered the room.

A blonde eyebrow arched as Tanith took in the scene in front of her. "Hm... Am I interrupting something?"

"No! Skulduggery was just leaving. Weren't you, Skulduggery?"

"Oh yes, of course. I will, um.. I'll see you at the Ball."

"Yes. That would be good."

Tanith looked as though she was trying hard not to burst out laughing as she observed the awkwardness between the two as the tall man edged towards the door. Once he was gone and the door had shut behind him, her laughter escaped her in guffaws and snorts. "What happened?! Lord, put some clothes on!"

...

It took them both two hours to get ready.

Tanith was in a beautiful blue dress that hugged her figure and brought out the blue in her eyes. Her hair was up in a pretty bun, and spare curls hung loosely around her face.

In comparison, Valkyrie felt plain and boring, no matter how much Tanith told her she looked pretty. Her dress was gorgeous, there was no arguing that; the bodice was fitted in a way that it complimented her body and made it seem like she had curves where she didn't. The chiffon skirt and petticoat seemed to flow and mimic water when she walked, and it made her seem graceful and dainty. Tanith had tried to fix her hair into a bun, but had given up and left her dark locks to simply fall down her back and over her bare shoulders.

"I'm telling you, you look fantastic." Tanith was insisting, smiling at the younger woman.

"Not as good as you, naturally." Valkyrie grinned as they stepped towards the door.

"Well, naturally. I mean, I'm me." Tanith laughed to herself as she stepped out into the hall, only to almost run straight into a woman walking down the hall.

As if Valkyrie needed another blow to her self esteem, it was China Sorrows walking down the hall. As would only be expected, she looked gorgeous in a simple red dress, her hair tied up in a bun similar to Tanith's only without the loose curls around her face. She raised a perfect brow upon seeing the two women, and raised it even further as her gaze fell upon Valkyrie. "Oh dear. Don't tell me you're going to the Ball looking like that."

The youngest of them froze, a look of pure dismay crossing her face. She looked that bad?

"You haven't even put on any lipstick, for goodness sake." And with that, the most beautiful woman on the ship pulled Valkyrie back into her room, and pushed her down to sit on the couch. She opened the delicate purse she carried and pulled out a tube of lipstick. "Stay still."

Shock may have had something to do with the way Valkyrie sat perfectly still, staring in total confusion at China as the older woman took hold of her jaw and began applying the lipstick. Once she was finished, she cocked her head to the side and eyed Valkyrie's face critically, before turning to her purse and pulling out something that looked like a pencil.

Eyeing it mistrustfully, Valkyrie frowned. "What's that?"

"Eye liner."

"What's it do?"

"It lines your eyes, now stop being ridiculous." China pulled her face forwards again and began lining Valkyrie's already dark eyes with kohl. When she was finished, she released her face and examined her carefully, before giving a satisfactory nod. "Yes, much better."

"Um.. Thanks, I guess?"

"You're quite welcome. Now, I shall be leaving to attend the Ball. If you wish to accompany me, fine. If you wish to stay here, I really don't care."

"We'll come."

A delicate shrug, and then China was turning away and the other two were following her. Tanith and Valkyrie chatted and laughed the entire way to the ballroom. China remained silent, although not rudely so. It was more of a companionable silence born of not understanding a word of what the other two girls were talking about.

When they entered the ballroom, Valkyrie stilled as she stared around. It was all white walls and golden chandeliers and marble tiling and massive sweeping staircases, filled with ladies in flowing dresses and men in dapper suits. The pure grandeur of the place nearly took her breath away; she had never seen anything like it.

And yet Tanith simply nodded and said "Swanky" as she glanced around, and China barely even spared the room a glance as she breezed in.

"Enjoy you night, ladies." China called over her shoulder as she began to walk away. Her eyes fell on Valkyrie and she smiled. "You look fantastic."

Grinning, Tanith dragged Valkyrie further into the ballroom. "See? China Sorrows told you that you look great! That is the biggest compliment you could get!"

"I guess." Grinning sheepishly, Valkyrie glanced around, looking for a particular tall, thin figure.

"He's over there." Tanith rolled her eyes, noticing her friend's glances. "Along with his friend.. Ghastly, was that his name?"

"Yes, that's him."

"Hm." Her eyes roved appreciatively over his strong build. "I think I might ask him to dance."

Valkyrie laughed as they both walked over to the men, and Skulduggery, obviously hearing her laugh, glanced up. His eyes widened when he caught sight of her, and he took a step forward to greet her. "You look stunning."

A red flush flamed over Valkyrie's cheeks, and she glanced down at the floor. "Thank you." Why was she reacting so much more to his compliment than China's or Tanith's? The answer was obvious in her head, but she ignored it. "You look great too."

And it was true. Skulduggery looked as though he were simply born to wear a suit. It complimented the tall thinness of him, and made his wiry muscles more apparent. And of course his beautiful cheekbones stood out prominently, and Valkyrie just wanted to stroke his cheeks. But that wouldn't be appropriate.

They were both so caught up in staring at each other that they didn't notice Tanith asking Ghastly to dance, or Ghastly's surprised but pleasured expression as he agreed and took her hand and led the way onto the dancefloor.

"Thank you. Would you like to dance?"

"Oh. I can't dance."

"I know, you can't even get out of the bath without nearly killing yourself."

"You said we'd never speak of it!"

Skulduggery ignored her. "I, however, am quite accomplished at dancing. Allow me to show you how it's done."

She pretended to think it over, before grinning at him and allowing him to take her hand and lead her out onto the marble floor. One hand went to her waist and gently curled around the curve of her hip, and the other took her left hand. Unsure of herself, Valkyrie put her spare hand on his shoulder. "I wasn't kidding when I said I don't know how to dance. What if I fall over?"

"I won't let you fall over. You're dancing with me, after all, and I have a reputation to uphold."

"That makes me feel better, thanks."

Skulduggery just laughed as the waltz began. He was true to his word; Valkyrie didn't fall over once. It was a battle to keep from standing on his toes, and eventually Skulduggery just shook his head and picked her up and placed her on his feet. And then he was dancing again, and Valkyrie moved with his feet so that they looked incredibly synchronised and graceful and the entire time she was laughing into his shoulder.

They danced for what seemed like hours, and when they checked the time, they saw it really had been hours; it was 11pm.

Suddenly tired, Valkyrie lay her head against Skulduggery's shoulder and wrapped her arms around his neck. She smiled and buried his face in his cest as she felt his arms wind around her waist. "Skulduggery?"

"Mmm?"

"You never finished telling me the story about when you were a detective."

She could feel his muscles tensing beneath his shirt, and he stilled for a long moment before continuing his small relaxing rocking motions. "I shouldn't tell you; it's not a happy story."

"I'd like to know. You said that you made enemies. Did they hurt someone?"

His grip tightened on her, but it was unlikely that he realised he was doing so. "Yes." She glanced up at him then, and her big dark eyes seemed to steel him enough to continue. "I had a wife. It was ridiculous of me to think I could have such a normal thing in my life. It was stupid of me. But I loved her. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. And everyone knew that; that was the problem."

"What happened to her?" Valkyrie asked, trying to decipher how she was feeling; Skulduggery had a wife.

There was a long silence before he spoke again. "She was murdered."

"Oh." One of Valkyrie's hands went to her mouth in horror. "Skulduggery, I'm so sorry."

"Her murderer wasn't charged; there wasn't enough evidence. So he was let go, and every day I hate him more and more. I hate him, and that hate burns, and beside the burning hate I miss her. I miss her so much that I couldn't even cancel the booking on the room on this damn boat. Because it was her idea to go to New York on this ship. And she made the booking. How could I cancel that when it was one of the last things she did?"

Lost for words, Valkyrie just stared up at him.

"Did you know that you're the first woman I've so much as looked at since her? When I first saw you in that kitchen, when you were freezing and filthy and in that tattered dress and you were covered in dirt, you looked just like her. Except for the fact that you were freezing and filthy and in that tattered dress and covered in dirt. Asides from that, you looked just like her. I think I got a fright. And then you opened your mouth and you were obnoxious and cheeky and ridiculous and you were nothing like her." He ignored Valkyrie's frown as he continued. "I liked you all the more for that. She could never speak her mind or point out what I did wrong; you do so like it's second nature. I didn't think I'd ever get over her - and then I met you. And now I think it's possible."

Her eyes were probably as round as saucers, and Valkyrie didn't even care. Because then he leaned down and he kissed her, and all comprehensible thought seemed to fly out her ears.

His lips were soft and his hands were gentle as he held her against his chest, and she reciprocated immediately after she had gotten over her shock, interlocking her fingers behind his neck and standing on her toes to reach him better. Their lips moved together in a smooth slide, and it was all too soon that they broke apart.

Smiling, Skulduggery leaned his forehead against Valkyrie's. "I think I should feel like I'm betraying her, but I just can't. I think I'll just blame you instead."

A smile that mirrored Skulduggery's stretched across her face. "If it makes you feel better and let's you kiss me again, do whatever you want."

He laughed, and then he kissed her again, softly. "Thank you for being you."

"No problem. I like being me." She grinned at him, and kissed him again quickly.

He opened his mouth to say something, and at that moment the ship lurched to the side. Valkyrie yelped as she was nearly torn from his grasp, but they managed to keep a hold of each other. "Don't worry, it was probably just a strong wave."

"Right.." Glancing around nervously, Valkyrie took his hand and wound her fingers through his.

"I'm sure everything is fine."

"How do you know?"

Skulduggery didn't answer, instead glancing around the room at the other passengers. Mostly everyone was frowning concernedly and looking around at each other. He caught Ghastly's eye from the other side of the room; the big man looked worried. "Hm."

"The ship is sinking!"

Everyone jumped and startled at the shout; no one knew where it came from. Almost at once, half the people present started to panic.

At the same time, the other half started roaring at people to calm down, the ship isn't sinking, that's ridiculous, this ship is unsinkable.

"The Titanic is unsinkable, right?" Valkyrie whispered, gazing up at Skulduggery.

His jaw tightened. "There's no such thing as an unsinkable ship."

That did absolutely nothing to quell her nerves. "But it's unlikely that it's sinking, right?"

Silence. Even as the panickers were beginning to calm down, Skulduggery remained on edge. "I'm going to go above deck just to see if everything is okay. Stay with Ghastly."

"Wait, I'll come with you-"

"It might not be safe. Stay here."

"You're going!"

"That's different! I can risk my life; I am absolutely not risking yours. Go and wait with Ghastly." His expression softened and he kissed the top of her head. "I'll be back in a moment. I'm sure it's nothing."

And then he was leaving, heading for the door. And Valkyrie sighed and headed the opposite direction towards Ghastly, to wait for him to come back.

Waiting wasn't her strong point. She paced and cursed and punched Ghastly when he tried to get her to sit and calm down. But she waited, because she told Skulduggery she would. And she didn't even panic.

Until, that is, someone called out "Hey, where's all this water coming from?"

Everyone seemed to stiffen slightly before turning. Sure enough, water was pooling in the corner of the room. It wasn't much, but when it wasn't supposed to be there at all it was a little worrisome.

Suddenly scared, Valkyrie turned to Tanith and Ghastly. The two older people shared a glance before glancing back to her. Their faces were grim. "What's happening?" Valkyrie asked unsteadily, trying unsuccessfully to keep the fear out of her voice.

"We should get above deck." Ghastly muttered, taking Tanith's arm and motioning to Valkyrie to follow.

"But Skulduggery said he'd be back-"

"Something isn't right, otherwise he'd be back by now."

And then a horribly loud klaxon alarm went off. And then Valkyrie started to panic.


	4. Chapter 4

If it weren't for Ghastly and Tanith, it was quite likely that Valkyrie would have been crushed by the wave of people running for the door. They both grabbed an arm each and more or less dragged her with them as they joined the crowd of people jammed in the doorway.

"What's happening?" Valkyrie yelled, narrowly avoiding someone's elbow.

"Nothing good."

They managed to get through the door, and they were immediately caught up in the flood of people falling over each other to get down the hall and to the stairs. "Where are we going?!" She was shouting now to be heard over the din of people panicking.

"Main deck." Tanith's voice was short and clipped as she focused most of her attention on getting them all to their destination without getting crushed.

"Why?"

There was no reply.

It was a struggle to keep up, and Valkyrie kept tripping as people stood on the hem of her long dress. But Ghastly and Tanith wouldn't leave her behind, and they reached the stairs after what seemed like hours of fighting their way through the crowd.

Hefting her dress around her knees, Valkyrie hurried up the stairs behind Tanith and in front of Ghastly. An uneasy and panicky feeling was pooling in her stomach, and she had to fight to not vomit right there.

Cold air hit them as they emerged at the top of the stairs, and Valkyrie hissed sharply at the sudden chill as the hair on her arms stood up. "Tanith?"

"What, Val?" The blonde woman asked without turning, keeping her grip on Valkyrie's arm as she dragged her further onto the deck and away from the people struggling up the stairs behind them.

"Something really bad is happening." She hated to be the one to state the obvious, but the situation seemed to call for it.

Tanith and Ghastly shared a glance. "Everything's going to be fine."

"The ship is sinking, isn't it?"

"Shhh. Everything's going to be fine, Val."

"Where's Skulduggery?" Valkyrie whirled around suddenly, eyes wide. The cold air was making her feel breathless; or maybe it was just fright. "He said he was coming up here, where is he?!"

"Dexter!" Ghastly shouted suddenly, pulling the blond man out of seemingly nowhere. "Where's Skulduggery?"

"He ran back down to find-" Dexter broke off, catching sight of Valkyrie. "Valkyrie. He ran back down to find Valkyrie."

No one moved. No one said anything for a long, long moment. The only noise seemed to be crashing waves and the panicked screaming of terrified passengers.

"I'm going back down."

"No you're not!" Tanith said sharply, grabbing the younger woman's arm as she went to run for the stairs. "Are you insane?! People are killing each other to get up those stairs - if you go back down there, you'll-"

"I'll be fine, I'll be right back, I promise!"

"Valkyrie, _no_!"

She paid them no heed as she escaped Tanith's grasp and ran for the stairs. It was a struggle to get passed the other passengers, as they pushed and shoved to get to the top. By the time she got to the bottom of the stairs, the bottom of her dress was ripped and she could feel bruises forming all over her body from where she'd been punched out of the way.

"Skulduggery?" She shouted, hurrying back down the corridor. "Hey, Skulduggery?"

The amount of people was steadily decreasing the further she went, and they stared at her as she ran passed them. "_Skulduggery_!"

She reached the ballroom again and paused for breath, glancing around it. There was definitely more water now than there had been a few minutes ago. And it wasn't clear, clean water either. It was a dark brownish grey, and smelled stagnant and salty.

But there was no sign of a tall, thin man.

If he had gone to search for her, maybe he had gone to her room?

Turning on her heel, she turned and began running again. She ran until she noticed her feet getting wet, and then she looked down and saw she was running through a puddle. A puddle that seemed to stretch down the whole corridor. She kept running, turning the corner and ignoring how the water was getting deeper.

By the time she reached her room, it was up to her knees and her dress was drenched and sticking uncomfortably to her lower legs. "Skulduggery?" She pushed open the door.

The room was empty.

Wanting to scream and curse and swear, Valkyrie simply shut the door and stood there, in the water that was rapidly climbing higher. It reached the bottom of her thigh now.

"What are you doing, you silly girl? Can't you see the ship is sinking? We have to get above deck _now_!"

Valkyrie turned dazedly to see an old man hurrying towards her. His suit was crumpled, his glasses were askew, and a pocket watch was hanging precariously from his pocket. He was drenched from the waist down.

"The water is deeper down that way. It seems the ship is tilting; the trajectory of the slope suggests a breach in the hull, which is allowing water in." He sounded vaguely detached, as if he were explaining something in a classroom. "If too much water gets in-" he cut himself off, as if he was only just remembering there was someone in front of him. "Well. Never mind. Come on girl, we have to get you out of here."

But she was shaking her head before he even finished his sentence. "No, I need to find my friend."

"Is your friend worth risking your life?"

"Yes." She spoke without hesitation, then blushed. "Yes, he is."

The old man's eyes seemed to clear. "I see." He murmured quietly. " I am Professor Kenspeckle Grouse, my dear."

"Valkyrie Cain."

"Valkyrie, don't you think it might be wise to come up to the main deck and see if your friend is up there?"

"He isn't, I checked."

"But what if he went up there while you were down here?"

She paused, uncertain all of a sudden. "Do you think he might have?"

"I think we should check, because he's not down here."

Slowly, she started to nod. "Okay." She took Kenspeckle's proffered hand, and together they hurried down the corridor, back towards the ballroom.

The water was up to Valkyrie's groin now; she hadn't even noticed it climbing higher.

They're both soaking wet now, although it's hard to notice when all their concentration goes into wading through the grey water.

By the time they reached the ballroom, they were both breathing hard from the effort of pushing their way through the water, but Valkyrie still burst into the room. She had known he wouldn't be here, but there was still a small flicker of hope. That flicker died at the sight of the ballroom, empty except for the increasing amount of water.

Kenspeckle caught the look of disappointment and fear on her face, and he smiled sympathetically. "He could still be on the main deck. Come."

She followed him as he set off down the corridor again, and she paused suddenly at a strange noise. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" The old man didn't stop walking, but he did throw a glance over his shoulder to raise a bushy eyebrow.

"I thought I heard- there!" The sound came again, louder this time. It was a loud, ominous creaking noise. "What is that?"

Kenspeckle's face seemed to pale. "Hurry. We need to get to the main deck."

"Professor, what was that noise?"

There was no answer as the professor sloshed his way ahead. The water was waist high now. "The stairs are just up ahead."

The noise sounded again, even louder, and Valkyrie clenched her fists nervously. "What-"

Then there was a sound almost like an explosion and the ship lurched violently. Valkyrie found herself tipping backwards as the ship suddenly tilted. She cursed as her foot slipped and she fell, throwing out her arms to break her fall. Unprepared, she found herself going under the water, and then quickly resurfacing and gasping for air. Glancing around, she realised the ship was leaning backwards. "What happened?!" She screamed, desperately climbing to her feet. "Please tell me that wasn't the engines exploding!"

"Of course not, the water would have flooded the engines by now. It's far too cold, they never would have overheated. I believe that noise was the ship breaking in half."

"_What_?" Valkyrie choked in horror, following the old man up the slope towards the stairs.

"Remember I mentioned the breach in the hull? With the amount of water pouring in, the pressure would have built up in the middle of the boat until the infrastructure could take it anymore and snapped in half. I dare say it will take another hour for both halves to be submerged fully underwater, but I can't be sure."

Blowing an unsteady breath out of her lips, Valkyrie ran a hand through her wet hair. "We're going to die."

"There are lifeboats, Valkyrie." Kenspeckle shot her a sharp look. "You are not going to die."

The use of the word '_you_' and not '_we_' did not go unnoticed, but Valkyrie didn't point it out. "I'm not leaving without Skulduggery."

"I hope very much that this friend has earned such loyalty from you."

Instead of answering, Valkyrie continued wading through the now waist-deep water towards the stairs. Once she reached them she paused, and turned to Kenspeckle. "You go first."

The old man was breathing harshly from the energy he was exerting, and he looked exceptionally frail with his soaking wet suit plastered to his small, thin body. Nevertheless, he shook his head. "No, my dear. I insist, you go first."

"With all due respect Professor, shut up and go first."

Blinking behind his spectacles, Kenspeckle nodded once and didn't question her any further. "Oh. Yes, yes, of course." He hitched up his trousers as he began to climb the stairs ahead of her.

The water was touching her chest now, and Valkyrie shivered at the freezing water and pulled her dress up to her thighs as she followed the old man up the stairs.

Once they reached the top of the stairs, Valkyrie was abruptly pulled into someone's arms and wrapped in a tight embrace. A short gasp escaped her, and her breath clouded in the cruelly cold air. "Skulduggery?"

"Never do that to me again."

"Hypocrite!" She yelled, pulling her arm back and throwing a punch across his face. He hissed and fell back a step in pain. A bizarre half laugh and half sob rose up in her chest she threw her arms around Skulduggery's neck and buried her face in his chest. "Oh my god, I thought you were dead, you bastard!"

Skulduggery rested his face in her hair, and took a deep breath. "Valkyrie, I need you to listen to me."

"Where the hell were you? I was looking for you, but I couldn't find you anywhere, and I started to panic-"

"Valkyrie, _listen_ to me."

The tone of his voice caught her attention, and she fell silent.

"I need you to get on a lifeboat."

For the first time, Valkyrie noticed the amount of people climbing over the rail of the ship and into a wooden lifeboat. "Oh. Oh thank god, lifeboats. Okay. Come on then, before they run out of room."

"I can't."

"I'm sorry?"

"I'm staying here."

"No you're not, don't be stupid. Come on, we need to hurry."

"Valkyrie, please." He sounded pained, and his grip had tightened around her. "Look at the lifeboats."

Reluctantly, she turned her attention back to the boats. They contained only women and children.

"I couldn't abide by taking up space on a lifeboat and leaving women and children behind."

"Skulduggery, please." Tears were streaming down her face, and it felt like they were freezing on contact with the cold air. "Please.."

"Please, go. I just want you to be safe."

It was hard to ignore how tilted the main deck was becoming, how everyone seemed to be sliding down. "I'm not going without you."

"Don't be ridiculous, I will throw you on one of those boats if I have to-"

Valkyrie grabbed his face in her hands and kissed him. She broke away with a gasp, and shook her head again. "I told you, I'm staying with you."

He stared at her for a very long moment, without releasing her waist from his hold. "Valkyrie..."

"Don't. I'm staying, and you can't make me go."

"You will die."

"So will you."

Skulduggery was quiet for a minute. "I have become accustomed to the thought of death; it doesn't scare me quite as much any more. But you are young. You must be scared out of your wits."

"Terrified." She admitted with a forced laugh. "But it could be worse, right? I could still be in that stupid storeroom with all the rats."

Whatever Skulduggery was about to say was lost as the ship jerked so violently people were thrown over the rails. Women and children screamed from the lifeboat as it dropped into the water below, and the people still on the deck slid down as the ship began to the vertical. "To the top! Climb as far up the deck as you can!" Skulduggery shouted, pushing her up the sudden incline.

She had to throw herself up the deck, and she grabbed at the metal rail at the top desperately. More tears were sliding down her face, but she couldn't tell the difference between the tears and the sea water in her mouth. Glancing back, she reached down to help pull Skulduggery up next her.

There was hardly any room to hold onto the rails, as everyone seemed to have the same idea as the ship began to sink vertically.

"Are you okay?" Skulduggery's smooth voice asked in her ear.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine."

It was an obvious lie, but Skulduggery didn't point out the tears streaking her face. "Be brave. If we can last until help comes, we might have a chance of surviving this."

She reached out and covered one of his hands clutched around the rail, and squeezed hard. "If we die... I want you to know I'm thankful."

"For?"

"For you finding me. The last few days have been the best in my life." She was crying in earnest now, though she was doing her best to hide it. It was a futile attempt, but she tried anyway. "And even if we die, I want you to know how glad I am that we met."

"We are not going to die. You're far too pretty, and I'm too clever."

Her muscles were beginning to strain from holding her body weight up by her arms, and her fingers were cramping and going numb from the cold. The sound of mass hysteria and children screaming rang in her ears, and she shut her eyes tight to try and block them out.

She vaguely knew Skulduggery was speaking to her, but the words wouldn't register in her head. All she was aware of were the screams, and the burning in her arms and fingers. "Skulduggery, I think I'm going to fall."

"No, you're not." He said immediately, visibly tensing. "Valkyrie, just hold on. Do not let go."

She gritted her teeth and tried her best to do as he said.

But then someone off to the side of her lost their grip on the rail and fell, their screams becoming lost in the cacophony of panic below. As they fell, they grabbed onto several others and pulled them down with them, and Valkyrie looked away before she witnessed what happened to them.

Her fingers were starting to slip, and she whimpered quietly as she struggled to hold on. From here, she could see the lifeboats heading away from the sinking ship, with hundreds of pale, horrified faces staring back. She could see the second half of the ship, almost completely submerged.

Her fingers slipped again. She struggled to hold on tighter. It wasn't working, and she knew it. "I can't."

"Please. Please hold on."

"I can't, Skulduggery! I'm slipping!"

"Grab my hand."

He held out one of his hands, just as Valkyrie's cold-numbed fingers lost their grip on the railing. A scream was ripped from her throat as she found herself falling, the wind whipping at her body as she plummeted.

And then arms were around her, and she was still falling but suddenly she wasn't falling on her own; it suddenly occurred to her that Skulduggery had jumped after her. What had he been thinking?

And that was when they hit the water.

The shock from the cold was paralysing, and Valkyrie was still for far too long. When she finally came to her senses and struggled to kick towards the surface, her legs became entangled in her dress.

She panicked, and suddenly she had no idea which way was up and which way was down.

It was dark; darker than night, and colder than it had any right to be. She wanted struggle and scream, but she hadn't enough oxygen.

Her limbs were rapidly losing strength, and she found her fruitless kicks were becoming weaker. The cold was seeping into every pore of her body, rending her muscles useless.

And then a hand slipped into hers and squeezed weakly.

It took so much effort to turn her head. But when she did, and she opened her eyes to squint through the freezing, dark water, she could make out a pair of familiar sharp cheekbones.

Her oxygen-deprived brain couldn't remember a name; just a feeling of safety. She was safe. He was here.

She might be dying, but at least she wasn't alone.

She was so glad she hadn't been in that storeroom. It would have been so horrible to drown with the rats.

It was her fault he was here with her; she shouldn't have fallen. She should have been stronger.

She wanted to say this to him. There was so much she wanted to say to him. But all she could do was stare at him as her body shut down from both the freezing cold and the oxygen depravation.

With the last of her strength, she squeezed his hand lightly.

The returning squeeze was weak, but there.

A tiny smile tugged at the corner of her lips. She was dying, yes, but at least she wasn't alone.

As they sank in the deep dark ocean and the black water filled their lungs, their last thoughts were of each other. And they were happy, because they weren't alone any more.

If they focused their air-starved brains on just each other, it was possible to ignore the other bodies floating around them.

It was possible to pretend they were alone together in the Pacific Ocean.

**FIN~**


End file.
